South Africa Public Holidays
South Africa has 13 national public holidays in 2026, observed across the whole country. Over the years covered here the calendar draws on 16 recurring holidays. 10 sit on the same calendar date every year, while 6 move (Substitute day and Linked to Easter). The same calendar applies nationwide, with no separate regional public holidays in this dataset.
Which public holidays does South Africa have?
Every recurring national public holiday, how its date is decided, and the date it lands on in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Dates are computed from the rule, so Easter-linked and moon-linked holidays are correct for each individual year.
| Holiday | How the date is set | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Same date every year | Jan 1 | Jan 1 | Jan 1 |
| Human Rights Day | Same date every year | Mar 21 | Mar 21 | Mar 21 |
| Public Holiday | Substitute day | none needed | none needed | Mar 22 |
| Good Friday | Linked to Easter | Apr 18 | Apr 3 | Mar 26 |
| Easter MondayFamily Day | Linked to Easter | Apr 21 | Apr 6 | Mar 29 |
| Freedom Day | Same date every year | Apr 27 | Apr 27 | Apr 27 |
| Public Holiday | Substitute day | Apr 28 | none needed | none needed |
| Workers' Day | Same date every year | May 1 | May 1 | May 1 |
| Youth Day | Same date every year | Jun 16 | Jun 16 | Jun 16 |
| National Women's Day | Same date every year | Aug 9 | Aug 9 | Aug 9 |
| Public Holiday | Substitute day | none needed | Aug 10 | none needed |
| Heritage Day | Same date every year | Sep 24 | Sep 24 | Sep 24 |
| Day of Reconciliation | Same date every year | Dec 16 | Dec 16 | Dec 16 |
| Christmas Day | Same date every year | Dec 25 | Dec 25 | Dec 25 |
| Day of Goodwill | Same date every year | Dec 26 | Dec 26 | Dec 26 |
| Public Holiday | Substitute day | none needed | none needed | Dec 27 |
Which South African holidays are national and which are regional?
The 13 holidays above are national: they apply across South Africa rather than in one area only. This dataset holds no separate sub-national calendar for South Africa, so there is no regional layer to add. Individual towns and employers can still mark local days that are not national public holidays, and those are not covered here.
Which holidays move each year, and why?
6 of the 16 recurring holidays land on a different date each year. Here is the rule behind each group.
Same date every year (10)
The holiday is tied to one calendar date, so it lands on a different weekday each year but never changes date. In South Africa this covers New Year's Day, Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Workers' Day and Youth Day, plus 5 more.
Linked to Easter (2)
The date is counted from Easter Sunday, which is the Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon falling on or after 21 March, so it swings between late March and late April. In South Africa this covers Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Substitute day (4)
This is a replacement day off, granted because the holiday itself falls on a weekend or on another holiday. In South Africa this covers Public Holiday, Public Holiday, Public Holiday and Public Holiday.
When is the next public holiday in South Africa?
The next 4 holidays on the 2026 calendar.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage Day | September 24, 2026 | Thursday |
| Day of Reconciliation | December 16, 2026 | Wednesday |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2026 | Friday |
| Day of Goodwill | December 26, 2026 | SaturdayWeekend |
South Africa public holiday calendars by year
Open a year for the full table with dates, weekdays and long-weekend counts.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does South Africa have?
South Africa has 13 national public holidays in 2026 and 14 in 2027. The total can differ from year to year because holidays that fall on a weekend sometimes gain a substitute day, and because moon-based and Easter-based dates occasionally shift in or out of a calendar year.
Which South African public holidays fall on the same date every year?
10 of them: New Year's Day (January 1), Human Rights Day (March 21), Freedom Day (April 27), Workers' Day (May 1), Youth Day (June 16) and National Women's Day (August 9), plus 4 more. These are pinned to a calendar date, so only the weekday changes from year to year.
Which public holidays in South Africa change date each year?
6 do: Public Holiday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Public Holiday, Public Holiday and Public Holiday. The reasons are substitute day and linked to easter, so the Gregorian date has to be recalculated for every year rather than copied forward.
Are there regional public holidays in South Africa?
This dataset has no separate regional calendar for South Africa, so the national public holidays listed here apply countrywide. Individual towns can still observe local days that are not public holidays nationally.
What happens when a public holiday in South Africa falls on a weekend?
South Africa applies a shift rule to 4 of its holidays, so a date landing on a Saturday or Sunday is observed on a nearby weekday instead. Public Holiday, Public Holiday, Public Holiday and Public Holiday follow that pattern. We list a moved holiday once, on the day actually taken off, with its calendar date beside it, rather than counting the weekend date and its replacement as two separate holidays.
How to use this page
Public holidays shape the working year in South Africa, closing many offices, banks and public services and shifting the rhythm of travel and shopping. If you are scheduling a delivery, a launch or a meeting with a South African team, the table at the top is the quickest check: it shows every recurring holiday side by side across 2025, 2026 and 2027, so you can see at a glance which dates are stable and which need looking up again next year. Where a holiday falls on a weekend and is taken on another day, it appears once, on the day off, with its calendar date beside it, so the totals here match the official ones rather than double counting.
For a single year with weekday counts and long weekends, open the year page for 2025, 2026 or 2027. To compare countries in one year, the 2026 worldwide overview lists every country we cover side by side. Dates come from the open date-holidays dataset and are recalculated per year from each holiday's rule. Always confirm official dates with a local authority before you commit to travel or contracts.